UKC

how often do you people replace your fry pans?

we dont an inordinate amount of food, and we buy decent pans and avoid using cutlery that damages the surface as clean them properly (no steel wool on them etc), but we seem to need a new one every 18 months as they start to burn.
am i doing something wrong? or is this just fry pan-world? i recall as a kid having the same iron pan, my mum still uses it.
is all this whizz-bangery re special metals and surfaces simply lies?

In reply to ice.solo:

You bored or drunk?

Or both?

In reply to Removed User:

im trying to settle a 'discussion', tho my grammar and spelling today does appear drunk i agree.

In reply to ice.solo: We used to go through pans every couple of years but we were bought a good set of pans as a wedding prezzie and 11 years later they are all still perfect including the frying pan.
I think it was a Le Cruse set.

In reply to ice.solo: When you were little the pans weren't Teflon (PTFE) coated. The pan itself will last year's, the plastic non slip surface a lot less.

In reply to ice.solo: How do you mean they start to burn?

Can I recommend these - http://www.nisbets.co.uk/4/Kitchen-Cookware-Non--Stick-Pans-Vogue-Non--Stic...

I give them quite a lot of abuse and I use them a lot for flat breads and chapatis, the high temperature of which warps a lot of other pans. They're thick bottomed and the non-stick is robust enough to use metal cookware with every now and again. They're only about £15 for a 26cm pan, which is pretty good if you compare what you'd get from tesco or from one of these highly marketed, branded "super non-stick you'll never need another pan again" things, which aren't as good imo.

My 20cm and 30cm will prob last a good 10 years as I don't use them much, the mid size one is 4/5 years old and I'll replace it soon. If I looked after it better it would last longer.

They're on offer quite often, which made the 26" one £9 at one point. I wish I'd got two.

My tefal platinum lined pans seem to last - apparently you can use metal tools on them, although I rarely do.

With stainless pans you're supposed to season then with oil and then not remove that layer. Never tried it.

As for Le Creuset, I've never tried their pans but I have a few of their casserole dishes and I don't find enamel very non-stick. It's durable though.

In reply to Philip:


It's really black iron pans that need seasoning, although you need to use them daily as well as periodically seasoning them at a high temp imo. It's really a very thin layer of burned fat on the surface, a chemist could probably tell you why it turns into a solid, I can't remember :s

I went through a phase of using black iron for almost everything but the hassle put me off in the end, I still use a cast iron skillet now and again but no matter how lovingly you season it if it's been sat on the shelf for a few weeks things will stick more easily then to a modern non-stick.

You don't need to season stainless steel, it's technique that stops things sticking. If you put an egg into a cold, oiled SS pan and bring it up to temperature the egg will stick. If you heat the pan first, then add the oil, then add the egg you're chances of it not sticking are better.

In reply to ice.solo: i got (ok we but i do the cooking) a stainless steel thick based john lewis own brand frying pan. it needs cleaning after use but after 5 years there is no visible wear and being a yorkshire/scottish union i'll be surprised if we ever buy another!

In reply to ice.solo: Teflon coatings etc. are all total bollocks.

Get a single piece cast iron skillet - season properly - it will last you for the rest of your life. There is noting to break - you can probably get one secondhand of ebay.

I have one that dates from the mid-early part of last century. It dissipates heat across the case because of the thickness of the metal and it performs as good as, or better than teflon, if the oil is hot. Furthermore it can stand the very high temps required for searing etc. unlike teflon. In fact smoking oil only enhances the seasoning effect on the pan.

If you never wash it with soap it will get better with age. Generally I just apply water when hot, wipe out, and its done. I never season it periodically once it had built up a layer - cooking in it does that.

Regarding frying eggs - there the one thing you should heat up slowly and cook gently. This will stop them sticking and avoid crispy whites. Hot oil for most evrything else...

In reply to Removed User: Correct. There is nothing more to say.

(Well, except that these things are fryING pans!)

In reply to Removed User:


Avoiding crispy whites? what is the point of an egg if it doesn't put a frilly skirt on?

Madness!

In reply to ice.solo: These frying pans are outstanding, worth every penny. I have 2 of then up to now.
http://www.cs-catering-equipment.co.uk/chefs-essentials/cookware/non-stick-...

In reply to ice.solo:
the nisbet vogue ones are good.
Also: got a Le Creuset (not enamel) from a boot sale & it's very heavy, but very good

In reply to ice.solo:

Non-stick ones fairly regularly - every couple of years - I still have my Le Crueset from 20 + years ago and its still going strong